Susanna: The True and Tragic Story of Susanna Heatwole Brunk Cooprider

by Karl Rhodes

This is the true story of a Virginia Mennonite woman who fled north between the Confederate and Union armies to join her husband in Maryland. With the rebels hot on their heels, they escaped to Illinois and later went to Kansas in covered wagons. Her husband died eight days after they arrived, leaving Susanna alone on the prairie with seven young children and another one on the way. She endured fires, fevers, poverty, family strife, the deaths of children, and the worst locust plague since Exodus.

250 pages

Published September 14, 2026

Reviews

[Heather Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written and engaging book about a remarkable woman. Karl Rhodes is a great writer and I recommend hearing him speak if you live in the Shenandoah Valley.